Galata Tower
Galata Tower, considered among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. Galata Tower, one of the most important buildings that form the silhouette of Istanbul, was used as a fire watchtower for a long time and was called Galata Fire Tower.
Who Built the Galata Tower?
Galata Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianos in 507 - 508 AD. The Genoese rebuilt the current tower in 1348 - 49. The tower was raised between 1445 - 46. It was damaged by an earthquake in the 1500s and was repaired by Architect Murad bin Hayreddin. III. After the tower was repaired during the Selim period, a bay window was added to the upper floor of the tower. In 1831, the tower suffered another fire, World War II. Mahmut climbs two more floors above the tower and the top of the tower is covered with the famous cone-shaped roof cover. The tower, which was repaired in 1967, will be restored again in 2020.
Architecture of Galata Tower
Galata Tower was built in the masonry rubble stone masonry system. The exterior is stone masonry. In the inscription at the entrance, there is a 16-line eulogy written by II. Since it was built during the reign of Mahmud, it is thought to have been written in his name.
The round-arched window above the door was the soldiers' observation post. It is a nine-storey building with a high ground floor. The windows on its cylindrical body have round arches with brickwork. The development of the last two floors just below the cone roof is emphasized by the profiled moldings surrounding the cylindrical body. There is a metal-decorated mesh observation balcony that wraps around the floor below the cone roof. On the lower floor, there are round arches sitting on deep niched pillars and brickwork round arched windows.Today, it is observed that the part of the building up to the third floor has a Genoese character, while the other floors have an Ottoman character. Today, the building is used for social and cultural activities.
Source Türkiye Culture Portal History of Istanbul